How to Attract Mobile Buyers to Your eBay Listings

Did you know that 55% of online transactions on eBay are touched by mobile devices? According to the e-commerce giant, buyer behavior has been changing over the years. More and more people are turning to smaller mobile devices – such as smartphones and tablets – to make purchases online. In 2014 alone, eBay reached a staggering $28 billion in sales from mobile users.

That said, not all listings are optimized for mobile users. Because the industry landscape has changed so much, entrepreneurs must adjust their business strategies to stay competitive. As such, it is critical to making your listings mobile-friendly to attract more buyers. So, what can you do to create a mobile-friendly listing and stand out from your competitors? Here are our tips:

Avoid Lengthy, Complex Descriptions

Let’s face it, most vendors tend to use lengthy descriptions to drum up attention from buyers. This strategy might have worked in the past where the majority of viewers were using desktop computers or laptops to make online purchases but the switch to smaller screens calls for less fluff.

Shorter descriptions look better on smaller screens as opposed to longer texts. Plus, succinct descriptions are less likely to turn buyers off because scrolling is reduced. When writing the product descriptions, always focus on the important aspect of the product, such as specs, benefits, and so on.

To save even more space, try not to include a lot of extraneous HTML codes in the description. Some codes do not render well on a mobile device, forcing your users to pinch and scroll the product listing. All that pinching and scrolling will only turn potential customers away!

Keep it Simple

From the typography to the layout, less is definitely more when it comes to selling a product on eBay. A striking layout might be a good idea initially, but combined with the text and pictures, your listing could look too busy. When the product is not presented well, it could turn people off or draw the attention away from the stuff that matters: the clickable buy button!

It pays to keep your listing simple and straightforward. Use a font that looks readable on a white background. Because mobile devices have a smaller screen, the text must not be too small to read or too large that it requires a lot of scrolling or pinching. Stick to one or two font sizes for maximum readability.

Choose a Great Photo

Your product listing should feature photos that fit the screen to reduce pinching. If you are using hi-res images, resize the pictures to at least 500 pixels wide. If you can, upload images that are up to 1600 pixels. eBay will automatically offer the zoom feature so customers can choose the images they like and check out the finer details of the product.

As for uploading images, we do not recommend adding the pictures in the description area. Why? Most customers do not scroll beyond this area. Also, images placed on the description section don’t render well. After completing the listing, we recommend testing how the entire page looks on major browsers, particularly Chrome, Safari, and FireFox.

Don’t Forget Your Product Identifiers

eBay is now requiring all listings to feature product identifiers. These are tags that include the brand name, manufacturer part number (MPN), and global trade item number (GTIN). Brand identifiers help increase your listing’s visibility on eBay by making it easier for buyers to find. And with the stiff competition between brands on eBay, you need all the help you can to distinguish yourself from other brands.

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Tina Lee-Almazar | Tinaciouslee

Tina Lee-Almazar is a writer and editor based in the Philippines. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting from Centro Escolar University in Manila. She started out as a production associate at ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network in 2004 before transitioning to creative writing in 2006. Her years of experience as a writer resulted in having considerable knowledge in a variety of writing fields. When she’s not surrounding herself with pretty things or discussing herself in the third person, Tina watches funny cat videos all day.